Despite limited minutes, Lindy Waters III plays a crucial yet understated role for the Spurs.
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs guard Lindy Waters III may not get much playing time this season, but Coach Mitch Johnson is quick to call on him off the bench when needed to provide a spark for the team.
When Waters III steps onto the court, he focuses on understanding his role in supporting his teammates, relying on his shooting and the small contributions that can add up to secure a win.
“I just try to be ready whenever my number is called. Space the floor, sprint in transition, try to open up like lanes for my teammates. Shooting gravity is a real thing, so I get down the floor,” he said.
The fourth-year pro is seeing a small spike in minutes played, currently at 8.5 per game in January, up from 5.2 in December. Since Nov. 2025, he’s seen a steady climb in minutes played on the court, with 16 versus Atlanta on Dec. 19.
The fourth-year pro played 14 minutes in a win over Milwaukee, marking his third consecutive game with double-digit playing time. Regardless of how many minutes he gets on the court, his primary focus is on ensuring that the team’s top scorers are prioritized. Waters fully embraces this role, as it helps create more space for them.
“You got guys closing the games, and it becomes four on four and create more space for Steph (Castle), Vic (Wembanyama), (De’Aaron) Fox, whoever’s got the ball at the time. So that’s just part of my role.”
Waters III joined the team in the 2025 offseason to enhance perimeter shooting, as the guard excels from the 3-point line.
During the 2023-24 season with the Thunder, he achieved a career-high 44% shooting from the 3-point line. In contrast, he shot 33% from beyond the arc last season with Golden State. In March 2022, against Atlanta, he set personal bests with 25 points and 7 of 13 3-pointers.
He also shows plenty of confidence when he releases the ball.
“It always feels like gold when the laces are lined up right in my pocket,” he said.
Despite his shooting touch, he had his nights when he could not find the bottom of the basket.
He recalls a time in the G League when every shot he took didn’t go through the hoop. However, he did what all shooters must do to overcome a shooting slump: just shoot the ball.
“I think it was one of the years in the G League, there was a two-week span where I shot pretty well throughout my G League career. But there was a moment where, for one week, I maybe shot 15, 20%,” he said. “It was those 14 days that were so heavy on me. I just kept shooting, and I eventually forgot about it.”
He relied on that experience and shared it with his Spurs teammates during the team’s recent offensive shooting slump.
‘You’ve got to keep shooting. It’s a law of averages. I always say. You might be in a slump for a couple of games, but you keep shooting. Eventually, your averages come back, and also just having that energy in the ball,” he said. “Finding the right passes and hitting the guys where they’re shooting pockets. That helps them a lot.”
This season, Waters III has a season-high eight points against Atlanta on Dec. 19 and has connected on two three-point shots in three games, including recording two steals against the Hawks on the same night.
He emphasizes that while offense is crucial, defense remains the Spurs’ priority, enabling them to rely on it.
“That’s something that we always need to fall back on, whether shots aren’t falling, even if we are playing the right basketball,” he said. “Some nights we don’t have it. Some nights, the ball just doesn’t go in, and we have to fall back on our defense. So we’re always just gonna keep that at the forefront of our minds.”